01
das Fell
fur
The dense hair that covers the body of mammals. It protects animals from cold, moisture, and other environmental influences.
example
Die Katze hat ein sehr weiches, glänzendes Fell.
The cat has very soft, shiny fur.
das Fell
fur / drumhead
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Meanings
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Usage tips
False friend
'Das Fell' means animal hair (fur) in German. It is a false friend of the English verb 'fell', the past tense of 'to fall' (in German: 'fiel').
EXAMPLE
Der Bär hat ein dickes braunes Fell.
The bear has thick brown fur.
Sentence structure of the idiom
In the idiom 'jemandem das Fell über die Ohren ziehen' (to fleece someone), the person being cheated is always in the dative. This is a fixed pattern.
EXAMPLE
Pass auf, dass sie dir bei dem Autokauf nicht das Fell über die Ohren ziehen.
Be careful that they don't fleece you when you buy the car.
Typical collocations
In connection with animal hair, 'Fell' (fur) is often described with adjectives such as 'weich' (soft), 'dicht' (dense), or 'glänzend' (shiny). Typical verbs are 'streicheln' (to stroke), 'bürsten' (to brush), or 'pflegen' (to care for).
EXAMPLE
Mein Hund verliert im Frühling sehr viel Fell.
My dog loses a lot of fur in spring.
Context clue
You can always recognize the meaning 'Trommelfell' (drumhead) from the musical context. Words like 'Schlagzeug' (drum kit), 'Trommel' (drum), 'spannen' (to stretch/tighten), 'wechseln' (to change), or 'Instrument' (instrument) make it clear that it is not about animal hair.
EXAMPLE
Das Fell der großen Trommel ist gerissen.
The drumhead of the bass drum is torn.
Compare with
Fell vs Haut
skin
'die Haut' and 'das Fell' are both part of the body of humans or animals and protect it. 'Haut' means the outer surface of the body itself. Humans have skin, and animals also have skin. 'Fell', on the other hand, means the dense hair on the skin of many mammals, for example cats, dogs, or rabbits. The words can be confused because fur grows on the skin and both are on the outside of the body. If you are talking about an animal's hair, 'Fell' is more precise; if you are talking about the surface of the body, 'Haut' is correct.
Fell
Wegen des Regens ist das Fell des Hundes ganz nass geworden.
Because of the rain, the dog's fur got completely wet.
Haut
Nach dem Training ist seine Haut rot und trocken.
After training, his skin is red and dry.
In real life
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